TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
Listen: Psalm 23
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Middle Eastern shepherds led their sheep through places of real danger to get to better places. Often this included deep valleys with small crevices, poor footing and low light. Areas ripe for predators and thieves—the danger was real. The shepherd would lead the sheep into and through the danger of the valley.
Our lives are a lot like some of those paths. There are dangerous times in our life. It is real. God never promises us a life free from danger or difficult situations if we follow him. Sometimes we get ourselves into difficult situations by making bad decisions. In those situations, we need to repent and turn back to God. Sometimes God wants to take us to a place beyond the danger, but we have to get through it first. He leads us there and leads us through it. He is with us. Often when we see danger, we are more concerned about where we are than who we are with. If we are with Jesus—that’s where our focus needs to be.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
If you are following Jesus, remember you are not guaranteed a safe or easy life. But God does promise us a place of contentment, security and restoration of the soul. Those things are not dependent upon life circumstances, but on placing our trust in Jesus and following him. There are times when we need to remind ourselves to trust. Saying a prayer like the following can help: “God, I want you to be the shepherd of my life. I want to follow your paths by living like Jesus says. I want to trust you even when I’m going through something hard. I trust that your way is the best way and that following you is the only way to find true contentment, security and restoration. Please forgive my lack of trust and help me to trust more.”
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
